A beautiful weekend for outdoor collegiate athletics has come to a close and for the Ball State softball team it could not have ended soon enough.
A nightmarish worst-case scenario unfolded as the Bowling Green Falcons swept the Cardinals on their home field in three Mid-American Conference games. Freshman pitcher Liz Vrabel allowed just four hits as she led BG to a 1-0 shutout to begin the series Saturday.
Freshman Quincy Duran of the Cardinals held her own against Vrabel, surrendering one run on five hits in the loss.
The second game looked as if it could go Ball State's way. The team had a 4-3 advantage in the third after Ruth Hjelmeland drove in a run and Katie Shea crossed the plate following a wild pitch. The Falcons answered by scoring seven runs in the next three innings to pave the way for a 9-4 victory.
"What it came down to was lack of execution," said head coach Terri Laux. "We didn't do anything to put ourselves in a good situation. "
The frustration continued Sunday for the Cards when Bowling Green grabbed a 4-0 lead through three innings.
Ball State had numerous opportunities to get back in the game with runners on base, but again failed to capitalize. The Falcons held on, 5-2, despite a bases-loaded situation versus power-hitter Hjelmeland in the final inning of play.
Vrabel pitched well for the second straight day en route to her eleventh victory this season.
Both teams struggled defensively Sunday, as the bright sun appeared to hinder the ability of players to make split-second decisions. Seven errors were committed between the two ball clubs.
It also seemed that Ball State was not in the game mentally at times. Laux agreed that undesirable outcomes from the day before had a lasting effect on the team heading into the final game of the series.
"They came in after beating us twice yesterday," Laux said. "That changes our demeanor a little. Now, even more so, every game will be important."
With the victories, Bowling Green (18-17-1, 9-5 MAC) ran its winning streak to nine as the team improved its conference record significantly.
Ball State (9-17-1, 5-7-1) slid to fifth place in the MAC West. More importantly, however, Bowling Green placed itself right in the thick of the league standings while the Cardinals further endangered their chances of making the MAC Tournament.
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